About That “2/3rds Believe In Climate Change” Poll…

Yesterday, said poll was a HUGE, MONSTER, WE TOLD YOU SO!!!!!!111!!!! poll about climate change. Even Tina Korbe fell for it, to some degree. Now, if you’ve noticed in previous posts, I typically put “climate change” either in quotation marks or follow it up with “hoax.” But, not this time. I’ll get to why in a few, but, let’s first start with the big news link, which kinda forgets to actually link to the survey

Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe that climate change is real — the highest level in two years — as the public trusted its own observations of rising temperatures, a poll said Tuesday.

The growing acceptance of global warming comes despite fierce political division over the issue in the world’s largest economy, with proposals to mandate cuts on carbon emissions failing in Congress.

“Is there solid evidence that the average temperature on Earth has been getting warmer over the past 4 decades?

62% say yes, 26% say no, 12% are not sure. Nowhere in that question is there any differentiation or discussion of why it got warmer (in fact, the temps have been stagnant and/or declining since the last El Nino in 1998). But, I myself might answer yes, because there certainly was a warming period from the late 1970’s through the late 1990’s.

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And, again, there is nothing in the poll that positions this as a debate over whether it is natural, anthropogenic, or a combination. Nothing. Of course, that is the assumption that is being made as people read into the poll, including far Left Warmists like Stephen Lacey at the far, far Left site Climate Progress. Most understand that the world warms and cools. This happens.

Then we have the sample size: 887. Rather low when we are talking about representing well over 300 million Americans. Even if we boil it down to the “adult” population (15-65), that’s still 206.8 million people.

One day, I would love to see a national poll ask actual, relevant questions which boil the issue down. We could start with

On a scale of 0-10, zero being none, 10 being 100%, how much influence do you think Mankind has on the global climate, particularly the warming that has occurred since the end of the last cool period ending in the mid-1850’s?

I’d answer “2”. I’ve gone over my reasoning many times, and most of it revolves around the urban heat island effect and methane from agriculture and landfills..

Lots of other questions we could ask, but, really, that one says it all. Anything else, such as “do you think most perceived warming is global or local”, are just filler. Well, there are some follow ups we could ask

If you answered 5 or higher, would you be willing to change your entire lifestyle to help reduce the amount of greenhouse gases you put into the atmosphere?

Would you be willing to give up your fossil fueled vehicle, your iPhone/smartphone, your iPad/tablet, your computer, your gaming system, your TiVo/DVR, unplug every appliance when not in use, turn off your ice maker, turn your thermostat to 80 in the summer and 60 in the winter, hand wash your dishes and clothes, take 2 minute showers, and take all vacations at home in order to limit your own greenhouse gas output, among other “carbon friendly” solutions?